the mud of autumn
mixed with the bodies of the
dead and the dying
An ill-fated day for the
brave men of the Wolf Argent
Tag: war
War Gluttony
the imagining
of a war through the prism of
the old movie screen
they watch, and the terror comes
the sickness of gluttony
The Olive Tree
Looking for you in every grain of sand
I found you by the shade of an Olive Tree
Screaming your name towards heaven
You cannot be found amongst the bombs
Listening to the sound of the seashore
We were married to the smell of our roses
Crying over what remains of your body
I lost you by the remains of an Olive Tree
Easter Sunday
the contrast in the sky
grey clouds touch the soft lemon,
in the distance, fire becomes mauve
a day to celebrate life
chocolate eggs, meeting with family
in sombre contemplation for the dead
the voices of the dead
they echo from the wars and genocides
calling for an end to the horrors every day
the contrasting sky changes
grey clouds meet lemon and yellow hues
a peaceful transition to a slow autumn night
Conflicted by Liberation
Each day flowed in compartments
waking at a time chosen by someone else
Working from fog-covered dawn to the darkness of night
whispering to the wind of dreams
Earning a place at the coward’s table
watching comrades die, fall into death, and become death
Whispering hope to our unseen God
enveloping my sorrow when liberation gave us a chance
A Lith Moment
A moment in Lith
You behind the camera
emptiness in front
Sombre music plays
within your mind as you click
wars outside rage on
Photographic storytelling
shadows and ghosts
one of the forgotten places
Dreams of Victory
our parents glorified the war
courage in sacrifice, honour in duty, and pride in country
we dreamed of the victories
old enough to fight, green as grass
training for the glory and the adventure in a foreign land
an unexpected chance comes along
the nation we serve sent us here
arid land, mountains and dirt, a misunderstood religion
days turned into months and years
a child exploded near the wall yesterday during sunset
shoot and bombing without thinking
another day, another order to master, no time to think
the message from our masters came on a dirt hot day
we are leaving this place for good
the nation we serve decided to leave after 20 years
feeling unsound, we board a flight sending us back home
emptiness fills the neglected places
too much time to think about the war we lost, the impact
sitting at home watching current affairs
the Taliban rip down pictures of women, hide them away
the country regresses into a Theocracy
thoughts of sacrifice, honour, and pride
those thoughts are thoughts left behind in another time
these thoughts threaten my existence
my parents do not know me
I am a failure in the story of their glorified war stories
they have no stories to tell
Kitties at War
The clowder of British Shorthairs approach from the rear; they wait for the end lapping milk.
The Persian cats take a direct approach and enter from the front. They chew on beef bacon.
The Russian Blues maneuvered: radioactive temptations dropped from the air.
For Yemen
Dead eyes see nothing,
for life has gone from their bodies.
Their blood mixes with the dust
as the Earth tries to cover our shame.
The broken bodies of unjust wars,
their silence goes unnoticed by many.
You fear the ghosts of the dead,
yet you turn away as bombs kill the living.
A selective concern for war,
there is always a right side and a wrong side.
Funnelled news distorts your mind,
thinking too deeply cuts into internet shopping.
You curse Russia for the war in Ukraine,
yet you don’t know where Yemen is on a map.
Ashes and Angst
We were kind, and we were good,
for our lives were not very good when we were younger.
Rumours of wars and postulating,
for we were never calm enough to say there was no fear.
The old stories from long ago,
old tales recent enough now that we are older and wiser.
Buying a colourful apartment,
for we were going to begin our eternity linked in this place.
We loved for a few years here,
the prospect of a miracle on the horizon quite soon, you say.
The morning snow fell heavy,
for we now had the perfect excuse to stay in bed all day.
Entwined in a warm embrace,
for we could feel something terrible would soon arrive.
The ashes and angst to come;
we would not be part of the atrocities our country faced.
We lay together in this place,
for we never felt death touch us in our linked eternity.
C & K 